Elodie Renée d'Évreux
Elodie Renée d'Évreux is a 16 year old Ravenclaw in her sixth year at Hogwarts. She is the eldest of two children and the daughter of pureblood aristocrats Sebastien and Charlotte d'Évreux (neé du Barry). (('OOC Note; '''This is a work in progress, please do not use anything IC unless with permission. Rumors and some details of family history (such as country of origin, parental careers, and blood/economic status) may be used. Meta-gaming is not tolerated.)) Family Legacy d'Évreux Family Family Crest The d'Évreux family crest is of near ancient origins, marking the lineage as one of the more venerable bloodlines in the wixen world. It depicts two crossed wands behind a shield featuring a unicorn, on a draped background. This hangs from a gilded crown. Across the bottom, on scrolling ribbon, reads the family motto, ''"Floreat Majestas" (Let Majesty Flourish). The primary colors featured on the crest are purple and gold. Early History The d'Évreux family boasts a long line of pure-blooded witches and wizards, famous and infamous alike, and pride themselves on being part of the Sacred 28. A family intent on keeping bloodlines pure, no non-magical or mixed-blood members brought in via marriage have ever been allowed to reproduce. Any squibs in the d'Évreux family have been swept under the rug or disowned and forced into muggle society. The d'Évreuxs have aligned themselves with pro-pure views in every issue concerning blood. They abhor muggles and distain mixed-blood wixen. They view squibs as lesser, only fit for servantry or as a well-kept secret. As you could imagine, the d'Évreuxs were supporters of Voldemort in both of the wars. Despite the family's French origins, generally its members are born in or choose to live in Great Britain, most notably England. Modern History The current head of the family is its patriarch and Elodie's grandfather, Alberoth d'Évreux. Elodie's father, Sebastien, will take his place once he steps down. As the eldest of his children, Elodie is expected to take her father's place as head once she is ready, or in the event of her father's death. The d'Évreux family still holds tight to their elitist views, although the current living generations are not as overt about them as previous generations were, discriminating more against muggles and muggle borns than mixed blood witches and wizards. du Barry Famiy Family Crest The du Barry family crest is not as ancient as the d'Évreux family, but it is no less respected. The crest is a dual-colored shield of silver and shimmering, pearl white. The colors split down the middle, cutting the shield in half. Centered on the front is a snowflake, made of sapphire on the most magnificent reproductions of the crest. The snowflake is crowned with a jeweled diadem, representing the generally-matriarchal nature of the family. The shield is held aloft by a stunning pair of what might be described as angel's wings. (WIP) Early History The du Barrys are well-known as a family that have long had their hand in the wixen community. Champions of blood purity, they have oddly always kept their views hushed. The majority of the du Barrys were not involved with Voldemort during the wars, although many quietly supported his views behind closed doors. The du Barry line is famous for many things, including its traditionalism--nearly every match in the family has been arranged by each pair's parents, and they pride themselves on decorum and other such things that most people would view as outdated or unimportant in modern society. Because of this pride in traditionalism, the du Barrys generally are born in and choose to live in France. Modern History Elodie's mother, Charlotte, is the current head of the family. Her parents are long dead, having succumbed to the stare of a baskalisk set on them by a rival. The du Barry family's views have not changed too much, although in recent years they have become less intense. Charlotte has never intentionally taught her children her prejudices, but her views about muggles, squibs, and mixed-blood wixen have surfaced from time to time in front of them. Charlotte has departed from tradition in that she followed a career that lead her to live outside of France. This has caused some slight turmoil in the du Barry family, but Charlotte is intent on introducing at least a few forms of flexibility to the family. Sebastien d'Évreux Sebastien is the eldest child and only surviving son of Alberoth and Belvina d'Évreux. He has three younger sisters named Nerissa, Delphine, and Adeline. His only brother, Thaddeus, perished in a freak accident at a young age before Sebastien was old enough to remember him. He is a famous dragonologist, although he was forced to retire from the field because of a dragon-related injury. Despite this, he still produces written works, and occasionally is the star speaker of well-attended conferences for dragonologists/enthusiasts. Sebastien attended Hogwarts while living in England with his siblings and grandparents while his own parents, both great adventurers and scholars, traveled around the world. There he was sorted into Gryffindor, a house most befitting of the future dragonologist. He stayed in England for another three years after graduation, during which time he met his future wife, Charlotte du Barry. Their courtship was arranged by the pair's parents, who both thought that it was high time for the two find a spouse. Sebastien and Charlotte were betrothed to each other within a few months of meeting, and married within a year. They moved together to France, into a large chateau just outside of Eguisheim. Sebastien is the epitome of the princely-type: handsome, tall, strong, and charming. He is a man of unquestionable morals (with the exception of his blood elitism). He is very handsome, with white-blonde hair, a strong jaw, and twinkling blue eyes. Charlotte d’Évreux (neé du Barry) Charlotte is the only child of her parents, the late Orion and Cybil du Barry. She attended l'académie de magie de Beauxbâtons, where she received top marks in all subjects. After graduation, she began a career with the French equivalent of the Ministry of Magic, eventually becoming an important member of the Department of International Magical Cooperation. This work kept her from her children, Elodie and Sabine. Eventually it lead her to move from France to England with her family, where she resides and works with the British Ministry as a key member of the international department. Charlotte is quite lovely to behold, with dark ebony hair, a pale complexion, and the ghostly light blue eyes that Elodie inherited. She is very old-fashioned, emphasizing the importance of propriety and the good breeding of her children. She is more quiet about her prejudices than her husband, following in the family habit of keeping her opinions of non-purebloods and muggles behind closed doors. Aside from not keeping the habit of living in France, Charlotte holds dear all of the traditionalisms of her family, and this expresses itself in how her children have been raised. Biography Early Life Elodie was born on a frigid December evening in the fairytale-like town of Eguisheim. The night was black as pitch and a storm seemed to be brewing, but by the time she was born a snow had fallen, making the town and its surrounding area blanketed in a beautiful carpet of sparkling white. She lived in her birthplace for nine years, in her parents’ large chateau that resided a ways north of Eguisheim. The chateau was protected by a thick line of trees around the vast property, seemingly endless brilliant gardens, and a veritable wall of muggle-repelling charms and spells. Due to her mother’s international work with the British Ministry of Magic, she and her family moved to Bourton-on-the-Water, where they reside in a sprawling mansion outside of the town, which is protected similarly to her first home. Elodie’s life as a child was not difficult, per say, but she had a great many number of expectations that her family held her to. If her father was old-fashioned, her mother was even more so. From as soon as she was old enough to learn, she was taught to be a perfect lady. Elodie was given lessons in etiquette, comportment, languages, dance, and the like. Her parents were rarely home because of their careers, so she was largely brought up by nannies and tutors. She was not allowed to behave as a "common" child would, and was expected to act like a lady as soon as she had a grasp on speaking and behavior. Her sister, Sabine, who is three years her junior, was not held to quite these exacting standards. After all, she would not be the one taking on her family’s positions as matriarch and inheritor. Elodie was expected to keep her feelings inside and stay pleasant, polite, graceful, poised, and above all, obedient. Her activities were strictly monitored—she was forbidden to visit the town without her parents or a nanny, she was not allowed to associate with muggles, squibs, or people of mixed blood (unless they were in the employ of her parents’ staff in the chateau and mansion). Because of this, she did not have many friends outside of her sister and the handful of children of other pureblood families that would sometimes visit. The only time her family let go of their prejudiced views about non-purebloods was to enter Elodie in training for ballet. She was allowed to be taught by the head choreographer at the Paris Opera Ballet, a half-blood witch. When Elodie’s mother was home, she would throw immense galas that every pureblood aristocratic family was invited to. Everyone in the wizarding world knew of these parties. Those that were not invited longed to be, for to be at a d'Évreux ball was to occupy a special place at the top of the social hierarchy. At these parties, Elodie would be shown off in hopes of attracting a potential partner for a betrothal. Elodie hated these gatherings, and felt as though she were nothing more to the attendants than a painting they were appraising. These parties continue in England, though not with such fervored frequency in regards to betrothal as they did in France (at Elodie's insistence). After moving to England, the nannies who took care of her previously began to be at the mansion less and less as her mother had more time to stay at home rather than travel back and forth between the British and French ministries. After her father’s retirement, he also was able to stay home more. Elodie and Sabine’s relationships with their parents became closer as a result. Education at Hogwarts Years 1-4 Early in her education, Elodie made very few friends of her fellow students. She was unused to socializing outside of aristocratic circles, and didn't quite know how to do so in such a large group of people. Along with this, her parents kept a very close eye on her and monitored who she spent time with. The didn't want how they raised her to be affected by less-aristocratic students, but by year three they realized that Elodie's demeanor wouldn't change by being around others and they relaxed. Her first four years were a little lonely, but she befriended many of the ghosts and paintings of the castle, making the lack of friends her in her class much more bearable. Her appearance, accent, and incorporeal friends make her stand out in a crowd, and in year three many odd rumors about her began to circulate amongst the students as she was seen more around the castle. Year 5 Before the occupation of Hogwarts by Dorchester and her goons, Elodie had a surprisingly fantastic year. She made friends, spoke to more people that weren't trapped in frames (or the afterlife), and had even considered joining more extracurriculars. However, as soon as her mother caught wind of what was going on at the school, she pulled Elodie from Hogwarts. Elodie only returned to Hogwarts to take her O.W.L.s and finish out the school year. In year five, Elodie met her friend from childhood, Alistair Prescott, quite by chance. The two reconnected rather quickly, and are the best of friends. Alistair helped Elodie come out of her shell by sicking by her side around the castle and asking her to the school's balls, which eased her social anxiety quite a bit. In the summer between her fifth and sixth years, Elodie was chosen to be a Prefect. She was extraordinarily excited for this new position, and waited impatiently for summer to end. Year 6 Physical Appearance Elodie has doll-like features, with very pale skin, full lips, ghostly blue eyes, and hair so light blonde it is nearly white. She has inherited her mother’s delicately beautiful looks, although she has her father’s coloring. Her posture and poise is near-perfect because of her training in dance. She is on the shorter side, with a thin, petite frame and surprisingly strong muscles (another result of her study of dance). Elodie often charms her eyes to appear a light purple rather than their ghostly blue. She thinks it makes her look less like a specter. Elodie is very well-dressed when she is out of her school uniform--as the daughter of a famous dragonologist and an international Ministry member, she is expected to look her best at all times. In year five, she used fashion as a way to subtly rebel against the restrictions that her position and family places her in. Though she no longer wears her more eccentric outfits, those few months gave her a bigger interest in fashion, and she now has a distinctly more haute couture ''wardrobe. Personality and Traits Elodie is a quiet girl, most often found with her nose in a book or buried in homework. She fits the stereotype of “dedicated Ravenclaw” quite well. She adores reading, and is very interested in intellectual pursuits. She has a strict sense of etiquette and respect, and always behaves very formally. If she behaves otherwise, it means she is under extreme stress of one sort or another. Essentially the only time she can be observed breaking rules is while sleepwalking around the castle past hours--though she rarely makes it past the Ravenclaw common room. Perhaps one of Elodie's largest flaws is how sheltered she is--she grew up surrounded only by her home's staff, purebloods, and wixen aristocracy like herself, and thus is not particularly worldly. Elodie dislikes strife, and will do her best to avoid it. She hates to see others fight, and will attempt to either escape or de-escalate any hostile situation, whether she is its target or not. Elodie’s voice is very soft and melodic. Her English is too formal to be mistaken for her first language. Her usual speaking voice is a posh British accent tinged with a noticeable undertone of a French accent, although if she is speaking to someone from France or to her family her original accent comes through quite strongly. She reverts to French occasionally as she is unused to speaking primarily in English. This also happens when she is feeling any emotion strongly—be it a positive or negative feeling. Elodie has a bit of fighting spirit to her, which shows itself when her family, her friends, or herself is insulted. Most of the time she uses her aristocratic mannerisms to deflect these insults, remaining aloof and above whoever is being insulting. But Elodie is known for her ability to out-bitch just about anyone if she's angry enough, which is quite surprising considering how much she hates conflict. Of course, most of her insults aren't understood by other students because they are mostly said in French, which has probably saved her reputation at least once. Habits *Elodie has a habit of switching to speaking French when she is feeling any strong emotion. *Elodie habitually carries around books and ballet shoes in her bag. *She used to imitate a British accent at times in order to blend in or escape teasing for her accent. *She constantly wears a necklace that her father gave her, and the ring that bears her family’s motto inscribed on the inside. *Elodie fiddles with the aforementioned necklace when she is uncomfortable. *When zoning out in class (a rarity, but it happens), Elodie’s fingers subtly move as though they are pressing the strings of a violin. *Elodie bakes vast amounts of sweets when she is stressed. *While not exactly a habit, Elodie sleepwalks. Fears *Elodie is terrified of the dark, a fear that is triggered when she awakes from sleepwalking in the middle of a pitch-black corridor. Magical Abilities and Skills Elodie is quite talented at charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts. She is also capable of nonverbal spell casting, and can handle herself on a broomstick surprisingly well. She is becoming a better and better Potions student as well, despite a disastrous first year at the subject. Mundane Abilities, Skills, and Hobbies Reading Elodie reads many types of books, from reference books to muggle fantasy books. She adores reading, and loves that she can step out of her own life and into another by turning a page. Playing Violin Elodie has been trained to play violin since she was able to hold one. Her first violin was given to her by her mother. Classical Piano Playing piano was a choice made by Elodie herself. Ever since she was a toddler and discovered the big, shiny piano in one of her home’s many rooms, she has loved playing it. Her mother noticed the young Elodie’s interest and immediately brought in a tutor for her. Classical Ballet Elodie’s mother allowed Elodie to learn a dance form that was more muggle-based. However, she made sure that Elodie would only take lessons from the very best teacher there was to offer, the head choreographer of the Paris Opera Ballet. Elodie was the most accomplished student at the ballet academy, but was forced to leave it when the d’Evreux family moved to England. There, Elodie has been enrolled in classes at the Royal Ballet School that take place during the summer. She also takes supplementary classes during other school breaks, and practices every day on her own. She is set to become the school’s prima ballerina by summer's end, and intends to become the prima ballerina of the Royal Ballet company once she is done with her magical schooling and her time at the Royal Ballet School. Elodie’s passion for ballet is the only thing that keeps her parents from balking at her association with muggles and non-purebloods at the academy. Sketching Elodie is an accomplished sketch artist, and intends to expand her artistic abilities. Embroidery Elodie doesn’t care for embroidery, but at the insistence of her mother, she learned. Frog Choir Elodie partakes in the school's Frog Choir. She sings soprano. Baking Elodie is a very talented ''boulanger. She bakes all sorts of sweets and pastries while at home, and sometimes even sneaks off to the kitchens to help the house elves make cakes, biscuits, and the like. Possessions Wand 14.25 inch aspen wand with a unicorn core, reasonably supple. It is a glowing white color, carved to look like a unicorn’s horn, and set with a glittering opal at the bottom. Tiny, delicate pearls are inlaid in the swirls of the wood. Jewelry Box Magically charmed to only open to her touch, Elodie’s music box is made of carved wood, painted pink and lacquered with a shine. When opened, the box has a ballerina that twirls, and it plays a music-box rendition of Waltz of the Flowers. The box is also charmed to be bigger on the inside. Within her box, Elodie stores various pairs of earrings, tiaras, necklaces, rings, and the like. Jewelry -The necklace that Elodie constantly wears, given to her by her father. It is a sapphire cut into a heart, set in a silver backing that comes to a crown at the top, where three small sapphires are set. It is suspended from a silver chain. -The family ring that Elodie constantly wears, inscribed with the family motto, "Floreat majestas” (“let majesty flourish”). It is a delicate gold band holding a pink diamond which is flanked by a few small white diamonds. -A few ceremonial tiaras that Elodie wears when her family hosts balls, or when she attends formal events. A cauldron full of books The cauldron has a hole in the bottom from a potion gone horribly wrong, and has been used as storage for books ever since. The books are muggle and wixen alike—textbooks, fictional books, and others are stored there. Dance Chest Elodie keeps her leotards, pointe shoes, tights, leather practice shoes, tutus, chiffon wraps, and the like in a chest at the foot of her bed. Like her jewelry box, the chest only opens to her touch and is bigger on the inside. Many pairs of worn out pointe shoes can be seen scattered about and shoved under her bed when recital season picks up. Rumors “I heard she’s actually the ghost of a student that died here—it would make sense. After all, with that skin and that hair she certainly looks like one.” (semi-common, untrue) “Heard she’s like some muggle princess, that one. Or at least she likes to think so.” (semi-common, untrue) “Her mum’s some powerful ministry official and her dad’s Sebastien d’Évreux, the bloke that wrote practically every relevant book on dragons. She’s probably pretty stuck up—after all, those two families are known for sympathizing with the rotten side in the wars.” (semi-true, common) “They say Ghosty's going to own half of France when her parents kick the bucket. Bloody rich kids.” (untrue, fairly uncommon) “She never talks to anyone but the ghosts and the paintings. I recon she’s a nutter.” (semi-true, semi-common) “The only time she’ll go outside is in the winter—the lass might as well be made of snow herself she’s so cold.” (barely true, common) “Heard she’s betrothed to some prat from France; have you seen that ring? She never takes it off.” "No, I heard Prescott gave that to her--you ever notice how much time they spend together?"(untrue, semi-common) "It's a shame the bird's so frigid--she's gorgeous. I feel bad for the one that tries to get to that frozen heart." (semi-common) "Are you going to the d'Évreux winter ball? I hear it's going to be even more stunning than last year's! Everyone that's anyone is going, they only invite the best of pureblood society." (true, well-known) Relationships Family Parents Despite their jobs taking them away from home for such a long time, and Elodie’s schooling doing the same, Elodie and her parents are close. They love her very much, and Elodie understands that even if this leads to overprotectiveness it is love nonetheless. ''Grands-parents'' *Maternal Elodie’s maternal grandparents perished before Elodie was able to know them. Elodie hopes that she would have made them proud. *Paternal Elodie adores her mémé and pépé, and visits them often when she is not in school. They call her their “''petite princesse''” and refer to her as the “''joyau de la couronne''” (crown jewel) when speaking of her to others. They have always had a very warm relationship with Elodie. Sabine Sabine is Elodie's younger sister and only sibling. She and Elodie grew up quite differently and never really became close. Sabine had the freedoms that most children enjoy, while Elodie was unable to play and carouse with her younger sister due to her duties and lessons. Despite not being terribly close, the two are fond of each other. Madeline Elodie’s familiar is a small cream colored kitten named Madeline. She can often been seen skittering along behind Elodie, napping on her bed in the dorms, or curled up in Elodie’s arms. She is surprisingly loyal for a cat, particularly a kitten, and will hiss and bear her claws when Elodie is teased or visibly upset by someone. At Hogwarts Alistair Prescott Elodie and Alistair had known each other in childhood, before her entrance into Hogwarts. He had attended the galas that Elodie's mother had thrown while the d'Évreux family still lived in France, and Elodie's parents considered a betrothal between the two children. The two didn't socialize at Hogwarts, however, as Alistair was in a different year and they didn't have classes together. Eventually, in Elodie's fifth year, Alistair made an effort to befriend the mysterious, lonely Ravenclaw after stumbling across her practicing ballet in the library one night. This effort paid off, and the two became friends fairly quickly. By the time December rolled around, Alistair had asked Elodie to accompany him to the Winter Ball, and Elodie accepted. There, they danced the night away and ate most of the snacks off of the food and dessert tables. Over winter holiday, Elodie visited Alistair's family estate for a few weeks, and when they returned to Hogwarts there was much speculation about their relationship. The two are only friends, but they find it amusing to watch the rumors fly, so they egg them on whenever possible. In the interest of this, Elodie and Alistair went to the Hearty Party together, where they danced and gossiped about the ridiculous drama that their fellow students were getting into. After eating too many sugary treats and feeling a little ill the pair left early and missed the interruption from the Ministry. Since then, they have formed a tradition of attending school functions together and follow the familiar pattern of snacking, light gossip, and an early departure. When Elodie was taken out of school by her parents, the two kept in touch by writing letters nearly every week. Alistair and Elodie are a seemingly mismatched pair as the charming and headstrong Slytherin is quite different from the elegant and reserved Ravenclaw, but they are good friends nonetheless. Trivia/Behind the Scenes *Elodie’s name was inspired by the main character in the strategy game Long Live the Queen. *Her favorite colors are light pink, cream, and gold. *She adores French food and will sneak into the kitchens to ask her favorite house elves to make her various pastries and desserts if they have the time. *Elodie has a huge sweet tooth. *Elodie is both asexual and aromantic. *Elodie's theme song is Morning Grace, the opening song to Princess Tutu. *Elodie is her creator's second character at MM; the first, Sapphira Bissonette (Sapphira Pendragon), has been permanently retired.